20 Truths of the Boar, the Deer, and the Buttefly
by Blazer101
Summary: Twenty simple truths about Team 10 from the day they were put together until the day they were torn apart.


A 20 truths one shot for Team 10. It's just something that popped into my head one day and it came out with this. I've been recently obsessed with these types of stories so I decided to try my hand at one. It's not beta-read, so be prepared for some spelling and grammar mistakes. Well, enough of that. Enjoy!

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_**Twenty Truths of the Boar, the Deer, and the Butterfly**_

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**1.** Of all the teams, Team 10 was probably the most obvious.

**2.** Everyone knew about the famous InoShikaChou trio, and nobody would dare separate it. Even after Ino complained endlessly to both her parents and Iruka-sensei, she wasn't surprised when her name was called out with Shikamaru's and Chouji's. And even though she really wished to be on Sasuke-kun's team, and even though they preferred a quieter female teammate, one less prone to causing headaches, they knew that they all had to stick together.

After all, they were InoShikaChou, and they would never have it any other way.

**3.** The first few weeks with his team, Asuma certainly felt a little envious of all the other teachers. Kakashi and Kurenai were able to connect with their students (most of them, anyway) in no time. However, his three students were already tightly connected and he couldn't help but feel a bit left out.

**4.** Team 10 was the only team that actually knew and understood each other. They were the only ones who knew the others likes, dislikes, hobbies and goals before they even said it. They were the only ones who could actually work well together at the beginning. It only took two weeks for them to finally get over arguing all the time (though that's not to say that they don't now). It took the other teams nearly two months.

**5.** Asuma always tried to take pride in that, but he knew that he had nothing to do with it. He just lucked out and got the 'easy team'.

**6.** The first time Ino actually talked to Kakashi outside of team training was shortly after the Chuunin exams. He had come up to her, for once not reading his dirty little book, and smiled to her, or at least, she thinks he smiled. He said only one sentence; not a hello or proper greeting or anything.

"You'll be a great shinobi, because you have already learned the most important rule of all."

**7.** When Shikamaru was the only one to become a chuunin, Asuma was so excited and proud of him, just like a father, that he could barely use words to explain it. However, he soon found the words when he met up with the other teachers and told them all about the events that lead up to his becoming chuunin, even though they were all already there.

Since then, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Gai never heard the end of it.

**8.** They all had a minor fear that after the exams, when Shikamaru did proceed one rank higher then Ino and Chouji, that their team wouldn't be able to stay together. They all knew that the three-man cells always contained genin; all other higher went past them on separate mission. As much as they wanted too trick themselves, they knew that nothing would stop them from becoming torn apart.

However, when Tsunade took over as Hokage, she muttered something about 'damn parents' and always tried her best to assign them to missions together.

**9.** Before they left to rescue Sasuke, Shikamaru and Chouji went to Ino's house to inform her of their departure. Shikamaru was worried that she would make them promise to bring back Sasuke. Chouji was worried that she wouldn't let them go. But when the door opened and they told her, she just threw herself into their arms and cried hard on their shoulders for a few minutes, before making them promise to both come back in one piece.

**10.** It took a little longer than it should have, but Ino finally claimed that she had gotten over Sasuke. Shikamaru and Chouji knew that it probably ended a while back, but they didn't comment anything about that. They told her it was about time, which earned them each a painful slap on the cheeks, and laughed about between themselves on several occasions.

But, in reality, they were just happy that she wasn't going to get hurt again.

**11.** Shortly after, she said that she had her eye on someone new. Unlike Sasuke, however, she kept it a secret. Shikamaru was just too lazy to figure who, or to just even care. But Chouji found out who it was very soon, with some help from a few subtle hints that Sakura had dropped.

Since then, he thought Shikamaru was the luckiest man in all of Konoha.

**12.** Ino hated Temari.

It wasn't anything that the sand kunoichi said or did specifically that she hated. In fact, she only saw her on a few occasions, one being the chuunin exams. The first year, she had nearly forgotten all about her. However, it wasn't until shortly after Shikamaru turned thirteen and got a mission in Suna. Normally, a two week mission for him would be nothing, and his teammates would think nothing of it. And even though he worked with Temari, Ino didn't seem too worried. But afterwards, when Suna missions started coming more specifically, that's when she began becoming angry at Temari.

Chouji remembered once that Temari and Kankuro had come to Konoha for some business. By then, Shikamaru was fourteen. While Kankuro was out, she invited him out to dinner, just the two of them. When Ino found out, not only was she furious, but she forced Chouji to come with her to 'spy' on them. He, of course, didn't complain because the restaurant they were going to happened to be his favorite. He also couldn't help but notice how Ino's food remained nearly untouched throughout most of the meal, how she jabbed her fork through her salad, ripping the lettuce to shreds, and how her eyes, full of anger and envy, only concentrated on the table near the window.

Up to this day, he still thinks he never saw anything as scary as that in his life.

**13.** Asuma wasn't the best for making his team feel good about themselves. Whenever they went out to eat, he warned Chouji not to eat too much because he was fat enough as he was. He pointed out to Shikamaru that he wasn't social enough and being an anti social genius didn't attract many girls. And after the umpteenth time of Ino complaining about that big forehead girl harassing her poor Sasuke-kun, he finally told her that the Uchiha would never pursue anyone romantically, no matter how much she tried to get him to like her.

But deep down inside, he loved his students dearly, like children. He would give his life for them time and time again just to protect them.

His only regret is that he never told them that before he died.

**14.** On the day they returned from _that_, Shikamaru immediately lighted a cigarette and had a smoke. It was his way of honoring his sensei. However, Chouji and Ino didn't see it that way and instead stole the pack of cigarettes and his lighter. But when Ino held the box of cigarettes and cold, metal lighter in her hand, she felt a hard wave of nostalgia hit from three years prior, when Asuma set it as a test upon them to steal his cigarettes.

After giving Shikamaru back his possessions, they spent the rest of the day lying on the grass to watch the clouds, slowly passing around a cigarette between the three of them. Each blow seemed to bring back another memory of their sensei.

**15.** Ever since then, when they said 'InoShikaChou', they would secretly whisper 'Asu' at the end.

**16. **For Ino's sixteenth birthday, she insisted upon having a sweet sixteen. And since Shikamaru's birthday was nearly the same day as hers, Chouji suggested having a huge one for the both of them. Ino was ecstatic with the idea. Shikamaru just called it troublesome.

Ino and Sakura wasted absolutely no time planning for it, making sure they were going to have the perfect decorations, catering service, music, and guests. Ino's mom had offered to decorate the party salon with their own supply of flowers while Chouji's dad listed a large amount of highly recommended food services in his opinion. The two girls made sure to invite all of their friends to make it the perfect party. After the first couple of months after the party, it was known as the best sixteenth birthday party ever been to.

It was also known as the first time Shikamaru and Ino kissed.

**17.** Shikamaru and Ino didn't last very long together. She was always shouting complaints at him while he just sat and watched the clouds. After they both realized that it probably wasn't going to work out between them, they broke up.

Shikamaru wasn't too sad by it, or if he was, he didn't show it. His missions to Suna began piling up and whenever he went, his team noticed that he always went to talk to Temari. Ino was not blind when it came to romance, so she knew what was going on between them. And even though she was jealous, she didn't say anything to them and only said 'I'm happy if Shikamaru's happy.'

She still thinks that that was the biggest regret in her life.

**18.** Ino knew that if she wasn't going to marry Shikamaru, she had to find another strong and well known ninja to marry. She already had the perfect idea: handsome, brave, mature yet a good sense of humor, kind… the list went on. That's why she's confused when she ends up going on a date with Naruto and one year later, on the alter with him.

To no surprise, Shikamaru finally proposed to Temari. They wanted a small wedding, but with her being the Kazekage's sister and Shikamaru invited all of his friends from Konoha, it was anything but small. Either way, each of them enjoyed it, but they could both safely say that they enjoyed the two weeks after that they spent just to themselves.

Chouji settled down with a young woman who wasn't a ninja, but was one hell of a cook. Shikamaru and Ino were happy that he found someone who didn't care about his weight; though they did noticed he lost a few pounds shortly after his marriage. No matter what happened, though, the two of them were happy with each other.

**19.** Much to their (and their parents') pleasure, the 'InoShikaChou' trio continued on. Uzumaki Inoro, the blonde boy that took after his mother and father when it came to his temper. Nara Shikana, whose genius and laziness far exceeded her bossiness. Akimichi Choudai, the only Akimichi to not weigh over 250 pounds.

And they somehow found it fitting that Konohamaru, a relative of their old teacher, was the sensei for the three of them, forming Team 4. Despite their arguments, and Inoro's obviously immature comments about Shikana (especially after a long day of training when her shirt stuck to her sweaty skin), they somehow came through to be the best team of their year.

Ino couldn't help but notice how her son always paid extra attention to Shikamaru's daughter and feel a strong sense of déjà vu hit her. Shikamaru watched his daughter with a smile whenever she sat outside, she preferred in the sand, and watched the clouds just like him. Chouji smiled everytime he saw his son play 'ninja' with all the other kids, and was one of the most valuable players too.

For all three them, it was like being a genin all over again.

**20.** The three of them lived their life to the fullest, each one dying as a loyal Konoha shinobi. They were the first team in a long time to have each of their names engraved in the stone, each one dying on a separate mission.

Chouji went first after Asuma. It was his first ANBU mission being lead by Shikamaru. He died after taking the three pills and receiving far too many cuts and slashes, making his body almost unrecognizable. But either way, Shikamaru brought his body back to Konoha, crying all the way. When Ino saw, she did every medical procedure she knew and poured endless amounts of chakra into him, tears soaking his shirt. She only stopped after four other ANBU pulled her away from the corpse, telling her she had been trying to save an already dead person.

Ino was second. Her death was quick and for the most part, painless. Her mind was in the body of a foreign ninja for most of the battle and the victors seemed clear. It wasn't until one of the enemy escaped the trap and ran full speed to Ino's limp body in the hands of Inuzuka Kiba. Her mind was in a face against his kunai. Akamaru had bit his leg and Kiba had jumped out of the way in hopes to avoid it, but they had no chance. She returned to her body a mere second before the kunai pierced her heart.

Shikamaru was ready to retire until he got called on one last emergency mission. Just like he had hoped, his daughter was happily married and his son was a successful ninja. But, being a loyal Konoha shinobi and the best strategist they had, he agreed. He chose to die honorably like his comrades. He had them caught in his kagemane, but with low chakra and no teammates or surroundings to help, he knew he had to kill him. The valuable information he had made it too risky to let him live. With each one holding a kunai, they both ran to each other at full speed and ended their lives at the same exact time.

And though they really, _truly_ believed nothing could separate them, they were wrong. As they grew older, they realized it, but that didn't stop them from tricking themselves into thinking the happy lie. And things began to happen and they began to separate; they couldn't do anything about it. They knew, though, that they would never be torn apart.

Because, in reality, 'InoShikaChou' was just a nickname for the three best of friends, and friends are always together.


End file.
